More builders offering multiple-generation home designs

by Sue Doerfler - Nov. 11, 2011 09:02 AMThe Arizona Republic

Angie Meyer's three children love their new house: No one has to share a bedroom, and there's a game room just for them. But more important, they love seeing Grandma and Grandpa every day.Meyer and her parents, John and Judy Akers, and her kids share a 6,300-square-foot West Valley home with two master bedrooms, a huge family room and a dining room with a table for six.They are part of a growing trend: multigenerational households.

In 1980, 12 percent of households had two or more adult generations, according to the Pew Research Center in Washington, D.C. As of 2008, the latest data available, 16 percent of households were multigenerational.

"It's clearly increasing," said Stephen Melman, economic-services director for the National Association of Home Builders, a Washington, D.C.-based industry group.

"By and large, builders are building smaller homes," he said. "Then there's this niche."

Numerous factors contribute to the trend.

The down economy has had the biggest impact, prompting family members to move in and share expenses.

"It could be college grads who can't find a job who are coming back home," Melman said.

The aging population is another factor, with adult children becoming caretakers for their parents. Cultural reasons and events, such as even Sept. 11, have also contributed to the increase.

"With all that has happened with the country in the last 10 years, people are more appreciative of their families," said Hal Looney, Arizona area president of Shea Homes Active Lifestyle Communities.

Valley builders including Shea, Toll Brothers, Lennar and Pulte/Del Webb are responding to the trend with floor plans that accommodate extended families.

Pulte/Del Webb offers several dual-master-suite options. Having separate master bedrooms and bathrooms on either side of the house gives each generation their privacy, said Jacque Petroulakis, PulteGroup spokeswoman.

At Shea's Encanterra subdivision in the San Tan Valley area, 10 of the 16 plans are designed for multigenerational families, Looney said.

Marybeth and Jeffrey Vogt bought one of the plans to share with Marybeth's parents, George and Margaret Mount, who are winter visitors from Pennsylvania. The 3,200-square-foot home has an attached casita with its own entrance, which is perfect for the Mounts. The casita was an option to a third garage stall.

The house was out of their price range -- until they decided to buy together, Marybeth Vogt said.

"My parents were thinking about buying a second property anyway," she said.

The Mounts came for a visit in mid-September and plan to come back after the weather turns cold in Pennsylvania, where their primary home is.

Vogt is looking forward to having daughters Morgan, 7, and Paige, 6, grow up with their grandparents.

"I don't see us having a lot of issues because we all get along," she said.

In the Meyer-Akers household, getting along is key to their living arrangements. When they moved in, they pooled their furniture, dinnerware and cookbooks. Now they eat together and share five refrigerators packed with food and two freezers. They split up the chores.

"That's nice because not one person is responsible for everything," Judy Akers said.

She and her husband help take care of the kids: Savannah Sparkes, 11, Michael Sparkes, 9, and Hayden Meyer, 4. They have learned to text, which has made communication and schedule coordination much easier.

"Sometimes the house can be chaotic, but that's the same with any family," Meyer said.

Judy Akers said she enjoys all the activity.

"I like to be busy," she said.

She likes to plan family gatherings. At times, as many as 35 people are over. That's when it's handy to have many sets of dishes, she said.

The families have been living together since 2009, when the Akerses moved into Meyer's rental house. Meyer's husband had recently passed away, and her father had just started a new job in Kansas.

"I thought I could help her," Judy Akers said. "Then I wouldn't be lonely while (John) was gone."

The Akerses ultimately sold their Glendale home. John Akers returned to the Valley for a job, and they started looking for a home to buy. A Toll Brothers plan fit their needs.

The arrangement has worked well for Meyer, who has been able to advance in her career. Her current job, Western region vice president of government programs for UnitedHealthcare, requires her to be out of town frequently, so she appreciates having her parents on hand.

The kids also love the arrangement.

"Before we lived together, when I was 5 or 6, I used to sleep over (at my grandparents') every Friday night," Savannah said. "Now I get to see them all the time. I get to spend time with them more than just every Friday."

Tips for building a suite for an aging parent

Decide what your expectations are well in advance and make sure everyone agrees. Involve the older parent in the process.

Make sure the addition is built following universal-design guidelines. Are counters, bathrooms and doorways wheelchair accessible? Is there a walk-in shower with grab bars? Opt for entry-level additions to eliminate stairs. Look for a contractor or builder with experience in universal design or aging in place.

Check municipal building codes to make sure that accessory dwellings are allowed.

On Dec. 1, homebuilder Lennar will open the doors to a Tempe model home called "Next Gen" meant for extended families.

The 2,945-square-foot model is a three-bedroom home with a den, great room and two-car garage that also features a separate one- or two-bedroom Next Gen suite with its own garage, laundry room, dining room, kitchenette, patio and outdoor grill.

The model home is being constructed next door to Ikea in Tempe, and the Swedish home-goods store will furnish it. Lennar's in-house research of more than 1,200 Western-region homeowners showed one-third were already sharing a house with extended family. Next month, the public can tour the model home from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays.